New Mexico Denies DOE Request to Transfer Hanford Waste

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- The state of New Mexico has declined the Department of Energy's request for quick approval of a proposal to bring radioactive waste from Washington state's Hanford Nuclear Reservation to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad.

Instead, the New Mexico Environment Department says it will hold public hearings before any decisions are made.

Environment Secretary Ryan Flynn in a statement Monday evening said the decision will ensure that "the public's views are carefully considered" before the state acts on the Department of Energy's request to modify the WIPP permit to allow the waste to be brought from Washington state. The DOE in March asked the department for a quick approval of a change in the WIPP permit so it can bring 3.1 million gallons from leaking waste tanks at Hanford.

Below is a statement from the Department of Energy on this issue:

"DOE will continue to work with the New Mexico Environment Department on the process they believe is most appropriate to adequately involve the public." – Frank Marcinowski, Department of Energy Deputy Assistant Secretary for Waste Management.